Thursday, March 31, 2016
Dolly Parton
Being a fan of country music, I had always heard of Dolly Parton, but honestly I didn't know all that much about her. The title "Diamond in a Rhinestone World" really stood out to me because that exactly explains how Dolly was seen in the public eye. Different. I really admire her for staying true to her roots, and remaining humble. Dolly Parton became a persona to the real Dolly Parton from Appalachia. Without her persona, I don't think she would have reached the success she did. Obviously, with her big blonde hair, tiny waist, high heels, and big boobs, she's bound to get some recognition. It was such a smart move for her to create this image of herself. She's not "Dolly Parton Country Mega Star" all the time. Her husband is a regular- non famous person, so if she decided to escape the fame and relax with her husband and live a non hectic life, it can be done. Many people, like Amanda Bynes for example, fall once they get to the top because they can't separate fame with home life. It all becomes one. Dolly was able to surround herself with people that kept her grounded, and didn't let her come crashing down. To put her persona in perspective, a similar example would be Lady Gaga. Without the absurd costumes and wigs she wore during public appearances, she probably would be no where near as famous as she is today. Before reading this article in, my thought was, it's a free country, if Dolly wants to wear wigs, high heels, and lots of makeup, who is to stop her? If that's what makes her feel comfortable, then all the power to her. But it didn't quite happen like that. The only thing I didn't agree with was how she basically dressed like that to get attention from the men. As I mentioned in class on Wednesday, sex sells. I don't necessarily think that's how it should be, but in the society we live in, it is. Women shouldn't have to meet a man's standards to be great. Being confident and being true to yourself, that's how society should define "sexy".
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Emily, I love how you discuss the fact that Dolly Parton has been able to separate her personal life from her professional life. I think that is such a crucial thing for people in the industry to do. Far too many artists have fallen victim to Hollywood. Look at Miley Cyrus, who went from being adored as Hannah Montana, to extremely vulgar and win my opinion, fallen off the "deep end." I think Dolly was quite smart, as well as strong to keep the two different aspects of her life separate. I also like how you discussed how Dolly changed her appearance to gain attention and that saddened me, because a woman's worth should not be based on appearances. However, as you also mentioned, that is how our society works. It's an unfortunate circumstance, however, I believe that the women of country music are doing a great job of trying to rise above it! Great job, Emily!
ReplyDeleteEmily, I like how you compared Dolly Parton to Lady GaGa and how without the absurd costumes and appearance she puts on she would probably not be as famous. I think this is a very good point that if that is what makes an artist comfortable then it shouldn't be a problem.
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